William Henry Upham (May 3, 1841July 2, 1924) was an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

businessman, politician, and

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

pioneer. He was the

18th 18 (eighteen) is the natural number following 17 and preceding 19. In mathematics * Eighteen is a composite number, its divisors being 1, 2, 3, 6 and 9. Three of these divisors (3, 6 and 9) add up to 18, hence 18 is a semiperfect number. ...

governor of Wisconsin and served three terms as mayor of

Marshfield, Wisconsin Marshfield is a city in northwest Wood and southwest Marathon counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is located at the intersection of U.S. Highway 10, Highway 13 and Highway 97. The largest city in Wood County, its population was 18,929 at t ...

. He is the namesake of

Upham, Wisconsin Upham is a town in Langlade County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 676 at the 2010 census. The unincorporated communities of Koepenick and Summit Lake are located in the town. History The town was named in honor of Wisconsin Gov. ...

, in Langlade County.

Biography

Upham was born in

Westminster, Massachusetts Westminster is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, in the United States. At the 2020 census, the town population was 8,213. History Westminster was first settled by Europeans in 1737, and was officially incorporated in 1759. Westmin ...

, and moved to

Niles, Michigan Niles is a city in Berrien and Cass counties in the U.S. state of Michigan, near the Indiana border city of South Bend. In 2010, the population was 11,600 according to the 2010 census. It is the larger, by population, of the two principal cit ...

around 1852 and then

Kenosha, Wisconsin Kenosha () is a city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the seat of Kenosha County. Per the 2020 census, the population was 99,986 which made it the fourth-largest city in Wisconsin. Situated on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan, Kenos ...

, in 1853. He graduated from

Racine High School Washington Park High School (also known as Park or Racine Park High School) is a public, four-year high school in Racine, Wisconsin, USA, with an enrollment of over 2,400 students. Its school colors are blue and orange. The school's mascot, the p ...

in Racine, Wisconsin, the first public school in Wisconsin.

Military service

At the outbreak of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

, he joined up with the "Belle City Rifles", a Racine militia company, for service in the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union of the collective states. It proved essential to th ...

. His company was enrolled as Company F of the 2nd Wisconsin Infantry Regiment. Just a few months after starting his service, he was wounded during the

First Battle of Bull Run The First Battle of Bull Run (the name used by Union forces), also known as the Battle of First Manassas

by a bullet passing through his shoulder strap that supported his cartridge box just at the shoulder blade. After going to the field hospital, he was captured by

Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...

forces and sent to the converted tobacco barn,

Libby Prison Libby Prison was a Confederate prison at Richmond, Virginia, during the American Civil War. In 1862 it was designated to hold officer prisoners from the Union Army. It gained an infamous reputation for the overcrowded and harsh conditions. Priso ...

, along with other members of his company—F. Lacy, James Anderson, John H. Anderson, and Antle Henry. Congressman Alfred Ely from New York was captured along with them. At Libby Prison, he was attended by Dr. Lewis, the 2nd Wisconsin's surgeon. His family in Wisconsin, however, was told that he had been killed in action and held a funeral for him in Racine, Wisconsin—the captain of his company, William E. Strong, had seen him shot and reported that he believed him to be dead. Upham was released in a prisoner exchange in 1862 and repatriated to Washington, D.C., where he was introduced to

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...

at a

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in ...

interview arranged by Wisconsin Senator

James Rood Doolittle James Rood Doolittle (January 3, 1815July 27, 1897) was an American politician who served as a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin from March 4, 1857, to March 4, 1869. He was a strong supporter of President Abraham Lincoln's administration during the ...

. Soon after, Lincoln appointed Upham to the

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a fort, since it sits on strategic high groun ...

West Point, New York West Point is the oldest continuously occupied military post in the United States. Located on the Hudson River in New York, West Point was identified by General George Washington as the most important strategic position in America during the Ame ...

, from which he graduated in 1866. Upham was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the artillery and served in the Army until November 1869, having been promoted to the rank of

first lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a ...

in March of the same year. While stationed at

Fort Monroe Fort Monroe, managed by partnership between the Fort Monroe Authority for the Commonwealth of Virginia, the National Park Service as the Fort Monroe National Monument, and the City of Hampton, is a former military installation in Hampton, Virgi ...

, he was detailed as officer of the guard, overseeing the temporary quarters of the then-imprisoned

President of the Confederate States of America The president of the Confederate States was the head of state and head of government of the Confederate States. The president was the chief executive of the federal government and was the commander-in-chief of the Confederate Army and the Conf ...

, Jefferson Davis. In his memoirs, Upham related that he and Davis "usually ... past the hours until after midnight" in conversation, adding, "Mr. Davis was very pleasant and social ... full of reminiscences ... familiar with all parts of Wisconsin, he could tell me the meanings of all the Indian names of the

tate Tate is an institution that houses, in a network of four art galleries, the United Kingdom's national collection of British art, and international modern and contemporary art. It is not a government institution, but its main sponsor is the U ...

" Later in his life, Upham was a

Grand Army of the Republic The Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army (United States Army), Union Navy (U.S. Navy), and the Marines who served in the American Civil War. It was founded in 1866 in Decatur, Il ...

officer with the rank of major.

Postbellum career

After returning from military service, Upham first resided at

Kewaunee, Wisconsin Kewaunee is a city in Kewaunee County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 2,837 at the 2020 census. Located on the northwestern shore of Lake Michigan, the city is the county seat of Kewaunee County. Its Menominee name is ''Kewāneh' ...

. In 1878, he and his brother, Charles, moved to

, where they built the city's first

sawmill A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logs are cut into lumber. Modern sawmills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes (dimensi ...

. The Uphams flourished in the

lumber Lumber is wood that has been processed into dimensional lumber, including beams and planks or boards, a stage in the process of wood production. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, wi ...

industry, and his company, the Upham Manufacturing Company, came to own several businesses in the Marshfield area, including a shingle mill, grist mill, and furniture factory. In 1880, he constructed his family home, now known as the Gov. William H. Upham House and featured in the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

. Upham became one of the most prominent residents of Marshfield in the era and was elected Mayor for three years, in 1886, 1887, and 1891. On June 27, 1887, a major fire started at Upham's lumber mill and spread across all of Marshfield, destroying 250 buildings—virtually the entire city. Upham led reconstruction efforts and saw the city return to prosperity. In 1894, Upham was the

Republican Party of Wisconsin The Republican Party of Wisconsin is a right-wing political party in Wisconsin and is the Wisconsin affiliate of the United States Republican Party (GOP). The state party chair is Paul Farrow. The state party is divided into 72 county parties f ...

's nominee for Governor against incumbent Democrat

George Wilbur Peck George Wilbur Peck (September 28, 1840 – April 16, 1916) was an American writer and politician from Wisconsin. He served as the 17th Governor of Wisconsin and the 9th Mayor of Milwaukee. Biography Peck was born in 1840 in Henderson, ...

. Upham won the election and became the 18th Governor of Wisconsin in January 1895. He served one term but did not seek re-election in 1896. Upham instead tended to his business interests in Marshfield, as President of Upham Manufacturing and the Water, Electric Light and Power Co. Upham retired from business in 1919 and spent much of his later years in

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

. He died of pneumonia in

, on July 2, 1924. He was an original Companion (#03124) of the

Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States The Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States (MOLLUS), or simply the Loyal Legion is a United States patriotic order, organized April 15, 1865, by three veteran officers of the Army. The original membership was composed of members ...

, or the MOLLUS, founded in 1865 by and for commissioned officers who had served in the Union forces in the Civil War. His son William Jr. (1916-2009) served as Commander-in-Chief of the Order from 1985 to 1989. The town of

, is named for him.

Personal life and family

William H. Upham was the youngest son of Alvin Upham and his wife Sarah (' Derby). His grandfather, Jonathan Upham, was a soldier in the Continental Army during the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

and was present at the surrender of Yorktown. The Uphams were direct descendants of John Upham, an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

colonist who came to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1635, and was one of the first settlers of

Weymouth, Massachusetts ("To Work Is to Conquer") , image_map = Norfolk County Massachusetts incorporated and unincorporated areas Weymouth highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250px , map_caption = Location in Norfolk County in Massa ...

. William had several siblings, who also emigrated from the northeast to Wisconsin, including Calvin H. Upham, who served in the

Wisconsin State Assembly The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Representatives are elected for two-year terms, ...

. William H. Upham married twice. Some two years after the death of his first wife, Mary Kelly, in 1912, Upham, then 73, undertook a voyage along the Atlantic coast, that was forced by storm to harbor at Beaufort, North Carolina. There he met and married his much younger second wife, Grace Mason, and begat two sons: William H. Upham Jr., (who was a member of

Milwaukee Yacht Club The Milwaukee Yacht Club has been in operation on Lake Michigan's coast since 1871. The yacht club's slips are in Milwaukee's McKinley Marina. The Milwaukee Yacht Club is leasing the land from Milwaukee County; the current lease is for 50 years be ...

until his death), and Frederick M. Upham, who survived his older sibling. On August 20, 2009, at age 93, William H. Upham Jr., died in his home in

Milwaukee, Wisconsin Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at th ...

, due to

pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severi ...

. On December 30, 2018, at age 97, Frederick M. Upham died in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Electoral history

, colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;", General Election, November 6, 1894

References